Posted by radhika.reddy@Vanderbilt.Edu on Thursday, September 25, 2014 in Activities Everyone.

Location: Student Life Center Lower Level Meeting Rooms 1 & 2

Cultural stigmas in Africa assign girls and boys different roles and levels of status in their social environments, which in turn has negative impacts on girls’ opportunities for learning. Parents with limited economic resources choose to invest in education for their sons instead of for their daughters; they see a girl’s future in marriage and motherhood and thus believe that spending money to send her to school would be a gamble or even a waste. Hence, in the majority of the households in rural areas, young girls are frequently seen doing chores while young boys review their lessons or play games. Join Ousmane Bâ, a Mauritanian educator and current Humphrey Fellow, as he describes the major challenges to education for girls in his country and offers strategies that may give hope for more equitable learning. Lunch is provided.